The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-20
SUICIDE

From time to time the question of suicide
is very generally discussed. Suicide is
felony, hence, "felodese" felon of himself.
Accounts have it that Sampson was the
first felodese. the first felon OF himself.
There might have been others in SIMPSONS
time, but he was probably the most dis
tlnguished. Sampson had a checkered
career. He is known chiefly as the "strong-
est man" and his life reads like a romance.
From his birth, Sampson was blessed of the
Lord. His first grand exploit was to kill
lion as easily as If it had been a kid. The
killing of the lion was the occasion of
Simpsons famous riddle, which he pro.
posed to turn to good account, in
the way of replenishing his wardrobe,
but being over-pursuaded by his wife, he
explained the riddle to her, and Tinmath
then told her people, whereupon SIMPSONS
first speculation on his own account turn
ed out failure. Sampson at once compre-
hended the treason of Tinmath, and said to
the Philistines: "If We had not ploughed
with my heifer, ye had not found out my
riddle" Sampson having lost his wager,
thirty sheets and thirty changes of gar
ment," went down to Ashkelon and slew
thirty men and with the spoils paid his
bet. Sampson was judge in Israel. but
his life was not always above reproach, and
his final exhibition of strength was when
he pulled down the house where the Phil
istines worshiped Dsgon, their god. To
aocoro nlisb this uopdarfnl faaf he had IN
pray for strength to be avenged of the Phil
istines for putting out his eyes. The prayer
was heard and answered, aRd thousands of
bis enemies persisted. Sampson went down
also but we doubt IL it could be called sui
eide. Sampson was not in any proper
sense the first "felon of himself" In
shaking down the Dagon temple, God was
his co-worker, which resoues, we think,
the old Judge from the list OF suicides.
And, yet. being old and blind, in the
hands of his enemies, who used him for
their sport, we would not blame him much
if he had sought emancipation for their
cruelsies by selt-murder.
The charitable conclusion is that those
who commit suicide are for the time being
non compos mentis-out of mental bal
ante-irresponsible. But it so happens
that positive proof is not at hand-the alb
soIute facts cannot be arrived at. 1t is
theory based entirely upon sentiment. we
fail TO note any conclusion why it should
be true-as a general proposition, life Is
sweet; men want to live. But all too fire.
quently, life is bitter and men are tired of
it-not men only, but women as well. 1t
will be remembered that Judas Iscariot
committed self-muTder. He might have
been mentally deranged, but the act was
conspieuousIy rational, eminently a COM
mon sense consequence. Nothing could
have been mora in keeping with propriety.
The discussion OF suicide is by no means
modern. 1t has doubtless been debated
since the days of Sampson and Saul. The
Greek philosophers were not unmindful OF
its importance. Socrates condemned it,
Plato halfway favored it, or at least, was
lenient In his opinions. The Stoics and
Epicurians defended suicide, the Romans
dignifed il, and the Donatists were greatly
addicted to il.
Christianity has everywhere and at all
times opposed suicide, but has not put a
stop to it, and whether the crime is in
creasing or decreasing, it is difficult to de-
termine, though there are reasons for be-
lieving it is On the increase throughout
| Christendom.
The only countries that have statistics
| approximatlng accuracy are Prussia and
France, and In those countries suicide is
increasing. The latest work upon the sub
ject shows ''that the proportion of I'M
married persons who kill themselves Il
decidedly greater than that of the
married; the proportion Of widowed
persons is greater still, but that
OF the divorced and separated Is the
largest, it being uniformly five times a.
great as that OF the married" As regards
the cause Of suicides In Prussia and France
the estimate is that one-third OF the case
sre owing to mental disease, one-sixth II
physical suffering, one eighth to loss o.
property, one-tenth to the fear OF punish
msnt shame OK morbid conscience, ons